The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE RECEIVES ITS
BEAUTY, FORCE, AND ADAPTABLE
ITY FROM THE SAXON.
Speech of J. p. Knox, of Hunters.
VILE, North Carolina.
1t now remains for me to prove to you that
the language and literature OF England sprung
from the SaXons. This we propose to present
under three general heads. 1st. All their sa-
cred writings; End. English poetry; and 3rd.
prose works In general, together with little
history and some quotations from eminent
authors and critics on the English language.
We claim that the Church OF England, its
creedss, rites, rituals, and principles descended
Saxon tongue abounded In theological express
siOns, and in pure dOctrinal thoughts more
than ony other known branch OF the Gothic
stock" And Lord McAauley says the conver.
sion of the SaXonS 10 Christianity has been
one OF Engand's greatest boons.
Many men have often compared the church
to the great ark of Noah, but compare the
preservation Of the church itself: to that yes
and strenuous care In the clolster OF the
monks and the secret places of the down
trodden Christian SuNons, but 1t has descend
ed with all Its power and influence from gen.
Grafton to generation, and is to-day welding
an influence throughout the length and
hrendth of the English Empire. The laws
which regulate the divine worship are written
the saxon tongue ana ,I Gll ministers s preaSin
The very spirit of the Saxon Christians Is seen
TO day In all the truly pious persons In Eng
land. We read In history that the Saxons
from their own land among the Pagans of the
Northern part OF the continent and taught
them the truths OF the gospel rs they had
them and believed In them. And now we ask,
does this not correspond to the English peo.
pie? Are they not a missionary people?
What land pays more attention to the work
Of foreign missions than England? 1t Is not
to be found. We say that such men as Bede
and Bonifice. Saxon missionaries, have left
their impress and image on the more than one
thousand Christian missionaries who have
left the shores Of England for foreign fields.
This laudible trait In the English people has
caused her to extend her power and dominion
in nearly every land. has made the name OF
Great Britain known from the rising TO the
setting sun, has given her the name all over
the world OF Christian nation, and all this
must be attributed to the powcrand influence
of the SaXons.
We read nowhere OF the Norman-French ev-
or sending out single person to work as
tablish church, but McAuiay says: "It was
only an attempt" and then what few were
converted 10 Christianity adopted the forms
Of Worship which they found existing among 1ns
comes has the church had no Influence?
Has IL done nothing toward shaping the des-
tiny of the English people? Does she WELD
no power to-day In that mighty empire?
and zeal which English Christians manifest
in their church enterprises are but the fruits
and natural results OF the old Anglo.SaXon
people, and OF which they are so justly proud.
Now we come to speak of their literature
proper, and what. we ask. has more to do with
a nations institutions either for good or evil,
than its language and literature. why II we
had the literature and spoke the language OF
the Germans we would be German; If of the
Greeks then we would be Greeks; so II Eng
land spcrks the language and reads the litera-
ture, and in fact records her history In the
Saxon tongue, then she must be greatly intlu.
enced by that people. We claim that the
greater and most influential part OF English
poetry is Of Saxon origin, because all The poe
try written by them which is now extant. is
in rhyme, measure and style similar to that
of the English bardS.
Says one historian, the poetry Of the Sax
ons has called forth many imitatorS IN Eng
land, especially John Milton in his Paradise
Lost. Not only the style, but even the
thoughts and expressions are the same.
Where did English bar,ls get their fondness
for extollng In blank verse the deeds OF some me
lighted in celebrating the exploits or some
hero, or in singing the praises of heroine.
Says Faine. every little of their poetry now
OUT enough W STU" llitp POCt " SShi-
us was almost perfect, enough to declare to
the world that 1t Is the flower In the bud"
Yes II was the bud and now look Mt the grand
libraries of English poetry and you Will see
the full grown flower. If ever people pos
seSsed deep poetic sentiment il was the blue
eyed SaXons-they did not speak, they sang,
or rather they Shou,ed-wild and impassion-
ed was their productions-a typical repreSen-
ron. The very soul of all true poetry is Saxon
in its origin, and poetry has been justly
styled the true history of people;
Blank verse so much used. and so highly
priced in England could not be written In the
Normau-French tongue. Qnackenboss says
ait was impossible and was never attempted"
Take then all the poets who have ever written
II line Of blank verse. and If they have mad
SaXons. What! have roots no Influence?
Has poetry no bearing and no power over
people? Yes, verify, and wonderful. power.
too. Only few years ago we heard ono ol
that so great was the power and influence OF
English poetry on that people, that If she was
to slay her poets or Give up her pos
sessions in India, she would do the latter:
single poem. viz: Grey's Elegy In a Country
Church Yard, and early every word in 1t Is
Sa Xon. Who can set bounds to the influence
OF the works of Shakespeare, either for good
or evil on the English people? and only one
sixth of all his words are not Saxon. VIII
any one say that Milton's Paradise Lost. a
poem written In imitation OF the style or
hH0m p%el nmI MI nmir II" orn eirhth
Of all his words are not Saxon. Again, will
the tralslaiinps of the Scriptures he set aside
as having no bearing Oh this people? and
they are nearly, all Saxon w"rds-on'y one.
ith being derived from other
sources. Can such considerations as these
be cast aside rs having no weight? And now.
to show you that they are true, we will give
you quotation from IIaine. Speaking of Nor
he int0lnrl-
BILE litany; their Ideas were cXpounded and
repeated al injimitun without one outburst OF
emotion or touch Of originality
But 10 pass on. Prof 1iadlcy OF Yale Col
lege. says in speaking Of the English Ian;
guagc, that it is the direct descendant and
representative OF tho old Anglo-SaXon.
Though 1t has lost many of It's infectious.
and has borrowed many words from other
languages, yet all the infections that remain
all the pronnuns and conjnnrtons termed by
critics the bolts and pins Of our language, IN
familiar use have come direct from the Sax
ons. On the authority of this man we say
thnt all ihe newspapers and periodicals. both
secular and sncrrd and all tho thrilling SEN
great discussions In religion. law anu politics,
nnd nil the sentiments voiced by her great
AMI learned men which reused the people TO
action in peace rs well as in the time Of war.
are influences coming from the SaXons, since
all these media OF communication are In that
language which has come down from Them
Does language and literature exert no inhu.
cncc? For the proper answer To this uues-
ti0n we refer you to the speech Of Hon. John
NJ. bright Mt our late Commencement, in
which he showed tic wonderful, influence 1T
prature has aud does now sway over the diff
fcrrnt natiOEs Of the globe.
But while ! thus speak Of literature and
its results. / am aware that my honorable Op-
roncnts may point You TO tho splendid litera-
turc Of the Normens when they conquered